Get With It, Girls! Life Is Competition, by Teri ClemensBob Costas says: "What Teri Clemens has done at Washington University comes closer to the essence of what sports should be about than virtually anything we find in the day-to-day headlines and highlight shows."

What's Wrong with Timmy?, by Sandra Speidel and Maria ShriverBob Costas says: "I read WHAT'S WRONG WITH TIMMY? with my eleven-year-old daughter — actually, she read it to me. We both think it's a wonderful book that parents and children should read together."

The Student Athlete Survival Guide, by Marc Isenberg and Rick RhoadsBob Costas says: "A great primer for high school and college athletes and their families. Sound advice to help navigate what can be a difficult journey."

The Last Good Season: Brooklyn, the Dodgers, and Their Final Pennant Race Together, by Michael ShapiroBob Costas says: "There are many things I could say about Michael Shapiro's engrossing book. But here's all you need to know before you pick it up and decide for yourself: It's about baseball. It's about Brooklyn. And it's dedicated to two guys named Lenny Wexler and Barney Karpfinger. What else do you need to know?"

Just Ballin': The Chaotic Rise of the New York Knicks, by Mike Wise and Frank IsolaBob Costas says: "The 1999 Knicks season went beyond unlikely, and it certainly wasn't a classic — which is what made it so damn interesting. Mike Wise and Frank Isola were there for the whole ride. Now that they've caught their breath, they've managed to deliver an insider's perspective on a unique NBA season."

Sports on New York Radio, by David HalberstamBob Costas says: "Radio is purely the announcer's medium. Accordingly, most of the best sports broadcasting has been done not on television, but on radio. David Halberstam writes from the knowledgeable and nuanced perspective of one who practices, respects, and understands the craft and its history."

I Live for This: Baseball's Last True Believer, by Bill Plaschke with Tommy LasordaBob Costas says: "Tommy Lasorda is a Hall of Fame manager. And if there were a Hall of Fame for colorful characters and great storytellers, he would be in those too. It's all here, enjoy."

Horse Sense: An Inside Look at the Sport of Kings, by Bert Sugar and Cornell RichardsonBob Costas says: "Even Damon Runyon would have considered Bert Randolph Sugar to be Runyonesque. Here, he takes the reader beyond the rail or the $2 window and behind the scenes, with the rich cast of characters who make up the Sport of Kings."

The Mad Dog 100: The Greatest Sports Arguments of All Time, by Christopher Russo with Allen St. JohnBob Costas says: "Opining about sports in a spirited fashion is Chris Russo's specialty. You don't have to agree with him 100 percent of the time to find plenty to like and talk about on these pages."

Shooting Stars, by LeBron James and Buzz BissingerBob Costas says: "Our sense of modern athletes is often limited to what highlight reels and marketing campaigns reveal or obscure. Shooting Stars is the compelling and often poignant story of a remarkable group of young men only one of whom happens to be a future NBA superstar. In the end we care about them all, even as we come away with a truer understanding and appreciation of the circumstances and relationships that forged one of the most significant sports figures of our time."

The Man With Two Arms: A Novel, Billy LombardoBob Costas says: "A switch pitcher? A guy as good as Seaver righty and Koufax lefty? The thought intrigues as does Billy Lombardo's touching and original debut novel."

The Life of Helen Stephens: The Fulton Flash, by Sharon Kinney HansonBob Costas says: "Helen Stephens's story touches so many of the big moments and emerging issues of American sports in the 1930s and 40s. Her life was rich with adventure, controversy, and accomplishment. More people should be familiar with The Fulton Flash. And now, thanks to Sharon Kinney Hanson's carefully researched biography—they will be."

My Personal Best: Life Lessons from an All-American Journey, by John Wooden with Steve JamisonBob Costas says: "A man of John Wooden's accomplishments and integrity would stand out in any era, but now, almost three decades after he coached his last game, he is in some ways an even more striking figure."

The Wisdom of Wooden: My Century On and Off the Court, by John Wooden and Steve JamisonBob Costas says: "One hundred years-what an amazing life. But here's what's even more amazing about John Wooden and the timeless verities his life has embodied. One hundred years from now they will still be talking about his accomplishments and his approach."

A Game Plan for Life: The Power of Mentoring, by John Wooden and Don YaegerBob Costas says: "Few coaches have effected their player's lives so fully as John Wooden, so here's a natural question: Who mentored the mentor? Well, John Wooden is glad we asked…"

56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports, by Kostya KennedyBob Costas says: "56—the number alone still has meaning, but there is a compelling and textured story behind it, a story that pre- and postdates the summer of 1941. Kostya Kennedy tells that story beautifully."

Pirates Reader, edited by Richard PetersonBob Costas says: "When I was an eight-year-old Yankee fan, the '60 Pirates and Bill Mazeroski broke my heart. I am only now prepared to forgive and recommend this fine volume which celebrates the colorful and often glorious history of the Pirates."

Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman, by Lee LowenfishBob Costas says: "Just about everyone knows that Branch Rickey played a major role in modern baseball's most important development, the breaking of the color line. Yet, even if you somehow put that aside, 'The Mahatma' would still rank as one of baseball''s most influential and enduringly significant figures. It's that complete Branch Rickey, 'Rickey in Full,' that Lee Lowenfish presents here."

Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe, by Rich EisenBob Costas says: "I've always admired Rich Eisen's work, so it's no surprise to me that his book is very entertaining. What is a surprise is that he's somehow found time to write it in between the NFL Network's 6,347 hours of coverage of weak-side linebackers who could be draft-sleepers. That sort of programming and this book about it are both genuine public services."

Cohn-Head: A No-Holds-Barred Account of Breaking Into the Boys' Club, by Linda CohnBob Costas says: "Lets [sic] put it this way. After reading her book I now know things about Linda Cohn I couldn't even have suspected from roughly 1000 hours of SportsCenters. And I have reached the following conclusion: Linda is the top Cohn-Head since Larraine [sic] Newman."